Helpful Score: 9
ISBN 0590132059 - It seems like every childrens' book I read these days has something to merit a note for the crazy parents. This one is no different. If you're a parent who thinks magic is somehow linked to evil, pass this one up. If you're a parent who's going to be bothered by an anti-hunting message (for real, they exist), go read something else.
The nameless narrator of The Magic Finger tells a story about her neighbors, the Greggs, who enjoy hunting for sport - much to her dismay. Having begged them to stop, she reaches the end of her rope and "puts the magic finger on them all!" in anger. The next morning, the family has begun to turn into ducks, growing wings where their arms had been. At first, the idea of flying makes this change somewhat appealing, but that changes quickly as the Greggs spot four ducks moving into their house - leaving them without food or shelter! They must learn to fend for themselves as ducks until an agreement is reached with the new "people" living in their house.
There's more than one message in this book - first, the repercussions of not controlling your anger, as our narrator discovers when her magic finger is the cause of more than one incident. Second, the anti-hunting theme, which doesn't state that no one should ever hunt. It just says the girl is bothered by the Greggs' hunting for fun. Third, the family reaches an understanding of how the ducks felt, showing that at least trying to see things from someone else's viewpoint is good. There's plenty here, in this tiny book, to talk about with your child! Worth a read for parent and child alike.
- AnnaLovesBooks
The nameless narrator of The Magic Finger tells a story about her neighbors, the Greggs, who enjoy hunting for sport - much to her dismay. Having begged them to stop, she reaches the end of her rope and "puts the magic finger on them all!" in anger. The next morning, the family has begun to turn into ducks, growing wings where their arms had been. At first, the idea of flying makes this change somewhat appealing, but that changes quickly as the Greggs spot four ducks moving into their house - leaving them without food or shelter! They must learn to fend for themselves as ducks until an agreement is reached with the new "people" living in their house.
There's more than one message in this book - first, the repercussions of not controlling your anger, as our narrator discovers when her magic finger is the cause of more than one incident. Second, the anti-hunting theme, which doesn't state that no one should ever hunt. It just says the girl is bothered by the Greggs' hunting for fun. Third, the family reaches an understanding of how the ducks felt, showing that at least trying to see things from someone else's viewpoint is good. There's plenty here, in this tiny book, to talk about with your child! Worth a read for parent and child alike.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Helpful Score: 4
What can I say...All of Roald Dahl books are wonderful! This is a great read for 8 year olds at home and at school. Amust for the bookshelf of any pre adolescent!
Helpful Score: 1
A funny book.
This book is hilarious! A girl has been enraged that the Gregg family are so into hunting. She always tells them how sad she is that they kill all those animals (and for the most part they don't even eat them). She put her Magic Finger on them after promising she would not use it on anyone since an incident in the past with a teacher she had. However, her finger ends up transforming the Gregg family. It was really funny. I think my sons were a little scared at times as I read it to them in the beginning, but they were soon laughing. It was cute!
Dahl's usual wonderful, macabre fun plus a look at how the animals feel when hunted.
A fun, quick read. I loved it!
Author's name is actually the great Roald Dahl...
One little girl hates hunting, but her neighbors do it all the time.
One day the little girl got so mad, she turned the magic finger on them. What will happen now?
One day the little girl got so mad, she turned the magic finger on them. What will happen now?
This book is for Elementary children.
To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it's just plain horrible. She tried to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs only laugh at her. Then one day the Gregg's go to far, and the little girl turns her magic finger on them. When she is very, very angry, the little girl's magic finger takes over. Now she turned the Gregg's into birds.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Gregg family loves hunting, but their eight-year-old neighbor can't stand it. After countless pleas for them to stop are ignored, she has no other choice -- she has to put her magic finger on them. Now the Greggs are a family of birds, and like it or not, they're going to find out how it feels to be on the other end of the gun.
The Gregg family loves hunting, but their eight-year-old neighbor can't stand it. After countless pleas for them to stop are ignored, she has no other choice -- she has to put her magic finger on them. Now the Greggs are a family of birds, and like it or not, they're going to find out how it feels to be on the other end of the gun.
